In July, OAS representatives stated they offered Muyshondt an honorary contract but did not formally hire him and that the contract was never signed. Last update: May 17, 2022 Infrastructure Air travel is safe to and from El Salvador. Operators generally only speak Spanish. There is serious risk from crime in San Salvador. Penalties were not commensurate with those for other analogous serious crimes, such as kidnapping. Members of indigenous groups said they do not feel represented by the government or any public official. The victims father said his two sons previously received threats from police, claiming the PNC officers planned the shooting and told him, We are going to kill your children.. For more information, review OSACs report, There is only one national police service: The. Romeo Auerbach, a legislative assembly member from the Grand Alliance for National Unity (GANA) party, justified the reform by arguing that the print media had evaded paying taxes for decades. The judiciary, due to the lack of familiarity with IPR issues and inconsistent enforcement, continues to be the weak link in IPR protection; using the courts to seek redress for IPR violations is often a slow and frustrating process. Indigenous communities reported they faced racial discrimination and economic disadvantage. basis, usually causing little damage. release of personal and medical information over the phone, by email, or in exist to protect privacy, enforcement of those laws remains difficult. Alcohol Abroad, Health 101: How to Prepare for Travel, and Fire Safety Abroad. The soldiers from the Apolo Task Force claimed the victim attacked them with a firearm from his vehicle and that the soldiers returned fire. Nuevas Ideas, the party affiliated with President Bukele, won 56 of 84 seats in the Legislative Assembly and 152 of 262 mayorships. street-level drug sales, extortion, arms trafficking, murder for hire, otherwise distributing OSAC-derived information in a manner inconsistent with this policy may result in the discontinuation of OSAC support. without these features are targets of crime more frequently. No Of the 3,188,570 vaccine doses, 100% were donated in partnership with COVAX. On May 6, the Legislative Assembly approved the Law for the Use of Products for Medical Treatments in Exceptional Public Health Situations Caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Police generally failed to act on these reports. The Embassy uses Hospital Diagnostico and Hospital de la On March 11, the Second Sentencing Court sentenced Jose Misael Maldonado Palacios, a corporal of the Third Infantry Brigade of the San Miguel Armed Forces, to six years in prison for improper sexual conduct against two employees. News media occasionally report that Salvadoran authorities have detected and deported persons attempting to enter El Salvador with skimming equipment. Seismic tremors of a magnitude of approximately 5.0 occur on a regular basis, usually causing little damage. The law bans child marriage to prevent child abusers from avoiding imprisonment by marrying their underage victims, and the law likewise bans exceptions to child marriage in cases where the minor is pregnant. The election reports published by the Organization of American States (OAS) and the EU electoral mission noted the election generally met international standards. This is a common practice for most automobile accidents resulting in personal injury, apprehensions for DUI, and for criminal acts, including accusations. He was released the same day with no charges filed. It did not provide any significant public services. On August 31, the Legislative Assembly approved reforms to the Law of the Judicial Career, establishing that all judges older than 60 years or with more than 30 years of service must be removed from their position. are unsupportive laws, general distrust, and the occasional lack of cooperation The CA-4 Except in some very rural locations, police are generally Although the press announcement did not include the name of the organization, representatives of the Salvadoran Foundation for Economic and Social Development later confirmed they were the subject of the audit. Salvadors gangs are not major narcotics trafficking organizations. Most theft generally only speak Spanish. During the first half of the year, the number of pregnancies among girls between the ages of 10-14 increased 9 percent as compared to the same period in 2020. The report also noted that between 2015 and 2020, the Attorney Generals Office identified approximately 15 extermination groups in the country. On June 17,La Prensa Graficareported that relatives of an inmate who died inside Mariona Prison in San Salvador Department on June 7 learned of the death through Facebook. Elsalvador.com reports that, according to the PNC, two cases On July 19, PNC officers in Guacotecti, Cabanas Department, killed two brothers suspected of being members of transnational gang MS-13. In October 2018, heavy Workers in the textile industry reportedly experienced violations of wage, hour, and safety laws. Practices, and Evasive Driving For more information, review OSACs Report, Security in Transit: Airplanes, Public Transport, and Overnights. Labor inspectors focused almost exclusively on the formal sector. in complaints. Violent, well-armed street gangs 18th Street (Barrio 18) and MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha) being the largest are dispersed throughout El Salvador. The percentage of children with disabilities enrolled in the public school system is very low. and hazardous at night. mechanical condition. Road In response the PNC issued memorandums on July 20 and July 22 instructing police officers to act with professionalism and to adhere to the law and respect for human rights when interacting with citizens. As of June 5, police had made no arrests. Although the PNC did not present a motive for the killing, residents claimed that gang members shot and killed the man for not paying the extortion fee. IPR issues and inconsistent enforcement, continues to be the weak link in IPR WebBy the end of the year, there were more than 94,000 people detained in the country, despite the fact that the holding capacity of the countrys prisons, as of February 2021, was causing moderate damage and killing one person. News media occasionally report that Salvadoran authorities have detected and deported persons attempting to enter El Salvador with skimming equipment. the five municipalities registering the most homicides. "executive" commercial bus travel is generally safe, although The increased villainization of the role of media inspired supporters of the president to threaten journalists as well. the U.S., especially among children. No hospitals or medical offices will bill U.S. insurance companies. The constitution further provides for the presumption of innocence, the right to be informed promptly and in detail of charges, the right to a trial without undue delay (seldom observed), protection from self-incrimination, the right to communicate with an attorney of choice, the right to adequate time and facilities to prepare a defense, freedom from coercion, the right to appeal, and government-provided legal counsel for the indigent. Airplanes, Public Transport, and Overnights. shortages (particularly radios and vehicles) limit their ability to deter or The government pursued actions against members of other parties governing in past administrations and judges who had served a long time in a so-called effort to clean house of influence of officials appointed under previous administrations. Loss of life and damage to infrastructure results mostly from flooding and mudslides during the rainy season or tropical storm. U.S. Embassy Location and Contact Information, Hours of operation: 0800-1700, Monday-Friday. Prison sentences for convicted traffickers stipulate imprisonment from 16 to 20 years. El Police generally Although usually non-violent, these public displays sometimes Private hospitals and physicians expect up-front payment (by cash or, for hospitals, credit card) for all bills. However, its defenses against such an attack are thought to be weak. The National Council for Comprehensive Attention to Persons with Disability (CONAIPD), composed of representatives from multiple government entities, is the governmental agency responsible for protecting disability rights, but it lacked enforcement power. Factors contributing to impunity included politicization and general corruption. official U.S. government interests. El Salvador has long had one of the highest rates of violent crime in the world. In such circumstances detainees were permitted to request a Supreme Court review of their continued detention. Although the law prohibits discrimination based on HIV/AIDS status, Entre Amigos, an NGO that works on issues concerning LGBTQI+ persons, reported HIV-related discrimination was widespread. OSAC provides the latest safety- and security-related information, public announcements, travel advisories, terrorist group profiles, country crime and safety Emergency services are more readily available in the capital city than in outlying areas, but city facilities would be overwhelmed quickly in the event of a mass-casualty incident. The In 2018, the Government of El Salvador commissioned the National violence directed against known targeted victims and targets of opportunity. In Rogel suffered an obstetric emergency in 2012 when she slipped while washing clothes and was sentenced to 30 years in prison for aggravated homicide for allegedly having an abortion. As of September 13, the Attorney Generals Office had not revealed the details of those investigations. There were credible reports that members of the security forces committed some abuses. The constitution provides for freedom of expression, including for members of the press and other media, although the government at times did not respect this right. Candidates from the Nuevas Ideas party were not limited by the lack of government campaign financing because they had received campaign funds through private sources. There were 2,254 rape cases reported to the for all bills. Despite growing recognition of the importance of IPR, the piracy of all types of media, clothes, pharmaceuticals, and software, along with inadequate enforcement of cable broadcast rights, remain ongoing concerns. Citing photographs and audio recordings, El Faro reported that former attorney general Raul Melaras investigation found evidence that the Bukele administration negotiated with the MS-13 and 18th Street gangs and that the DGCP removed hard drives and hundreds of logbooks documenting the negotiations four days after the publication of the initial article. On September 17, 75 employees of the Legislative Assembly were arbitrarily dismissed. The president denied threatening journalists and dismissed accusations he was stifling freedom of the press. The U.S. Department of States Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) keeps Diplomatic Security Service representatives connected with private-sector On May 5, the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice ordered the Legislative Assembly to make the necessary regulatory adjustments to provide suffrage to Salvadorans living abroad and allow all citizens to register and run as candidates for the legislative and municipal elections in 2024. It also allows authorities to initiate raids ex officio. and IPR by conducting raids against distributors and manufacturers of pirated El More than 30 families that lived in Panchimalco, San Salvador Department, abandoned their homes on May 25 after receiving threats from gang members. The law does not specify which services meet this definition, and courts therefore applied this provision on a case-by-case basis. On June 4, Attorney General Rodolfo Delgado ordered the arrest of former mayor of San Salvador and prominent opposition politician Ernesto Muyshondt for the charge of misappropriation of tax withholdings to the detriment of the Public Treasury while mayor. States. As of August 31, the PDDH reported 53 cases of forced internal displacement. El Salvador 2020 Crime & Safety Report This is an There were no legal cases involving instances of terrorism affecting U.S. citizens or facilities brought before the judicial system in 2018, nor were there any judicial developments that would appear to have a significant impact on U.S. counter-terrorism efforts. Review OSACs reports. Rather, they are primarily involved in retail street-level drug sales. Observers noted that political and economic conditions prior to the elections may have been instrumental in swaying public support towards the Nuevas Ideas party, thus creating an unfair advantage for Nuevas Ideas candidates. current U.S. Department of State Travel For more information, refer to OSACs report, Traveling with Medications. Officials from the Attorney Generals Office raided the headquarters of opposition party, the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) on July 2 and seized assets to recover funds embezzled from a donation by Taiwan made between 2003 and 2004. Review OSACs El Salvador-specific page for original OSAC reporting, consular messages, and contact information, some of which may be available only to private-sector representatives with an OSAC password. There were reports, however, of security force involvement in extrajudicial killings of suspected gang members. Medicines often have a different brand name and are frequently more expensive than in the U.S. Would you like to continue with this session or log out? Recent Elections:The most recent legislative and municipal elections occurred in February. MS-13 a Transnational Criminal Organization in its list of Specially Designated There were no reports of discrimination in marriage, divorce, child custody, education, and judicial processes. Hotel Security. In some cases the countrys high crime rate undermined acceptable conditions of work as well as workers psychological and physical health. facilities brought before the judicial system in 2019, nor were there any Municipalities were not able to pay their employees and their bills and provided only limited services to residents. Contact Information for Available Medical Services. Civilian authorities at times did not maintain effective control over security forces. The courts generally enforced a ruling that interrogation without the presence of counsel is coercive, and that evidence obtained in such a manner is inadmissible. The victim was helping change a tire on his friends vehicle when MS-13 gang members approached them to demand their identity documents, where they lived, and what they were doing in the neighborhood. There were no reports of anti-Semitic acts. surreptitious theft of bags, backpacks, or purses. A new report by an El Salvador watchdog group warns that pacts between gangs and public officials to lower homicides in El Salvador are promoting the wider use of forced disappearances, showing how gangs are still using violence to maintain political and territorial control. The CDC offers additional On June 23, the Sentencing Court of Cojutepeque, Cuscatlan Department, sentenced PNC officer Juan Carlos Portillo Velasquez to 12 years in prison for the aggravated rape of an adolescent in 2018. Armed robberies accounted for 14% of all reported property crimes. Check with insurance providers to ensure you have adequate medical insurance valid for El Salvador, including coverage for medical evacuation (medevac). Find contact information for available medical services and available public. law prohibits discrimination against persons with physical and mental According to COMCAVIS Trans, transgender persons also faced discrimination from medical staff when they insisted on calling patients by their legal name instead of their chosen names. The polices investigative units have shown great About Who We Are OSAC Council OSAC Program Office Code of Conduct The PDDH ombudsman, Jose Apolonio Tobar, requested access to monitor conditions in the prisons but had not been allowed to enter the prisons since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020. A ch may be available only to private-sector representatives with an OSAC The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs. Measles, annual report produced in conjunction with the Regional Security Office at the According to media reports, the Ministry of Labor rewarded like-minded unions with expedited credentials and punished unions critical of the government with delays in their certification. offenders can expect lengthy jail sentences and fines. Overseas Security Advisory Council The law specifies 30 reasons for which an employer may terminate a workers contract without triggering any additional responsibilities, including consistent negligence, leaking private company information, or committing immoral acts while on duty. Outs and Considerations for The labor code does not cover public-sector workers and municipal workers, whose wages and terms of employment are regulated by the 1961 civil service law. The number of inspectors was insufficient to deter violations. The The law prohibits paying anyone younger than age 18 for sexual services. Children were subjected to other worst forms of child labor, including commercial sexual exploitation (see section 6, Children) and recruitment into illegal gangs to perform illicit activities in the arms and narcotics trades, including committing homicide. Your session will expire soon and log you out. President Bukele tweeted that the attack was a plot hatched by his political rivals to damage his Nuevas Ideas partys chances in the February 28 legislative and municipal elections, but there was no evidence of a plot. In urban and rural The law requires parents to register a child within 15 days of birth or pay a small fine. tour companies frequently employ national police officers from the tourist no Country Council in San Salvador. An average of 11 muggings are reported every hour in Lima and Callao. Operators He also confirmed that an increasing number of journalists were under attack by the government. crime incidents in El Salvador in 2019. Satellite Phones: Uber operates in San Salvador. Minister of Justice and Public Security Gustavo Villatoro explained that many disappeared persons were victims of homicide, as criminals hid the bodies of their victims to avoid charges of homicide. A report by Association Communicating and Training Trans Women in El Salvador (COMCAVIS Trans) found that gangs were responsible for nearly two-thirds of the violence against the LGBTQI+ community. Road conditions in urban areas are generally fair; rural area conditions are poor. The law gives children the right to petition the government without parental consent. External links to other internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein. U.S. Citizens with emergencies, please call (503) 2501-2999, Outside of Office Hours, contact: (503) 2501-2999, Outside of El Salvador: (301) 985-8840 x 2999, The Presidents of the North Triangle met with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden in Washington, DC to discuss the Partnership for Prosperity Plan. The PDDH also received 62 complaints of mistreatment and disproportionate use of force by the PNC and seven by the armed forces, compared with 55 and four complaints, respectively, as of August 2020. More to explore Page. Ombudsman has proactively condemned attacks against the LGBTI+ community. As of August 31, the PDDH reported seven alleged cases of discrimination against LGBTQI+ persons. The presence of On September 3, the Constitutional Chamber approved a ruling to allow for the immediate re-election of the president despite the express prohibition on re-election by the constitution. Observers noted the president has not kept his promise. U.S. victims of crime should contact the police and the U.S. Embassy. Review OSACs Local, Regional, and International Terrorism Threats/Concerns. Advisory at the date of this reports publication (medevac). The Inter American Press Association described the reform as a serious attack against democracy that would impact the local newspaper industry. While Interested private-sector security managers should contact OSACs Latin America Team with any questions. without these features are targets of crime more frequently. public areas. U.S. citizen residents/travelers should insist on speaking to U.S. Embassy representatives upon arrest or detention. densely populated country in Central America, with more than six million people, in personal injury, apprehensions for DUI, and for criminal acts, including Burglaries during daylight hours occur in residential neighborhoods throughout San Salvador. wellcare flex card benefits,
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